Sunscreen? Check. Beachwear? Check. A new Japanese snack box full of delicious and refreshing treats by the one and only ZenPop? Absolutely check!!
They've been so kind to *sponsor* this blog post, and sent me a free Japanese Snack Box to review. Are you ready? Let's go!
Each Snack Box includes:
- New and trendy snacks from Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores
- Popular instant noodles and beverages
- Candy and gummies unique to Japan
- Indulgent sweets like chocolates, cookies, or wagashi
- A variety of salty and savory snacks to delight and surprise you
- At least a dozen or more new things to try in every box!
The theme for the August 2023 box is Summertime Snacks: Summertime in the beautiful Japanese inland sea is all about beach fun and relaxing in hammocks with a projector, watching our favorite anime releases. It's the ultimate setup for a perfect night! By the way, have you caught up with the latest season of Kimetsu no Yaiba? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
I'm so ready to enjoy Summer and the deliciousness ZenPop has brought along! (Well, I can see the snacks are already enjoying the sunny beach 😜)
- Sugomen Wakayama Chuka Soba from Yamadai: Why not enjoy the essence of Japanese summer through the Kansai prefecture? That's what I got to experience with this Sugomen Wakayama Chuka Soba! The soup—made with the renowned "Kurasho Taru-jikomi" from Yuasa Soy Sauce Co. Ltd—had the extra flavour kick I needed to savour this dish despite the hot weather.
- Tsubumi Orange from Sangaria: This was such a refreshing drink! It tasted like tangerine juice and, although I normally don't like my juice with bits in it, I did on this occasion. It's definitely a much needed beverage during this hot Summer!
- Palettie Hyuganatsu Cheese Cake from Fujiya: I truly enjoy bite-sized snacks and I enjoy cheesecakes, so this lemon-y treat didn't go unnoticed. It was made with the finest HyugaNatsu Peel sourced from the west side of Japan, and the citrus flavour had just the right amount of balance with the cream cheese, making the taste very soft.
- Rollcake Butter Cream Flavor from Yaokin: This delectable roll cake was very fluffy and delicious, with a delightful butter cream filling sandwiched between layers of soft dough. Yaokin certainly knows my food weaknesses. Well done, Yaokin; well done.
- Mini Amijaga Umashio Flavor from Tohato: Although ZenPop knows how to entice me with sweet treats, I generally prefer salty treats, and these cutely shaped potato chips were truly a delight! The umashio flavour was quite strong, but that's probably why I enjoyed them a lot more than all the potato snacks ZenPop has bestowed upon me so far.
- Pride Potato JAPAN Kobe Beef from Koikeya: These potato chips were indeed a pride! As soon as I opened the package, I was surrounded by a wonderful meaty aroma and, to be honest with you, if this Kobe beef (which meets the highest standards among the renowned "Tajima Beef" produced in Hyogo Prefecture) smells and tastes like that, I really can't wait to try this delicacy for real! Definitely a symphony of flavors for my taste buds!
- Onigiri Senbei from Masuya: You know I can't resist a senbei, especially if it's as good as this Onigiri Senbei from Masuya! I had the pleasure of trying it the first time in the Snack Revelation box and, since I loved it so much, I'm so glad it made another appearance!
- Mikan Chan from Kawaguchi Seika: Mandarin oranges are one of my favourite fruits, I'm so glad I got to taste them in the form of candy! And how could I not enjoy these fruity treats when they're shaped like a whole peeled mandarin orange, and the package looks so adorable?
- Coconut Sable Mini Suppai Ano Koi no Aji from Cisco: Sadly this was a bit of a miss. The sour taste was too overpowering in my opinion, and I barely tasted the coconut.
- Mini Sapporo Potato Tsubutsubu Vegetable from Calbee: I got to try this amazing snack in the Snack Sledge box first, and I'm so happy it came back, even if it's a smaller version. And, just like last time, I wasn't able to identify the seven different vegetables. Everything was delicious, though!
- Tabekko Doubutsu Coconut Milk from Ginbis: If the coconut biscuits from Cisco were a little miss, these Tabekko Doubutsu Coconut Milk from Ginbis were a big one. Unfortunately I did not like them at all. I do enjoy the flavour of coconut occasionally, but roasted coconut was too much for me. One thing I did like, though, was the fact that the biscuits were shaped like an animal, and had the name stamped on each biscuit. That was cute and cool.
- Umaibo Sugar Rusk Flavor from Yaokin: My relationship with this treat from Yaokin has had its ups and downs, but I think it's time to take it to the next level. It's super safe to say that Umaibo Sugar Rusk was my absolute favourite snack of this box. ZenPop is often saying how certain snacks should bring back childhood memories (or memories from the past), but I've never truly understood the feeling because I wasn't born in Japan and I've never had any of those snacks. Well, I never truly understood until now. Rusks are quite a common snack in Italy, whether you have them for breakfast or as an afternoon treat. I remember as a child, we used to have a slice of bread with butter and sugar on top as a snack. With one bite of this Umaibo, it was like I was suddenly transported back in time. I swear it was the strangest feeling, the taste of the buttery rusk had all the memories of having that treat as a child rushing back to me.
- Swiss Baum from Taisyo Seika: I like peanuts, so how could I not enjoy this heavenly treat? The creamy texture was quite the treat, too bad there was only one!
- Hiroshima Lemon Jelly from Ace: Surprisingly, I enjoyed these Hiroshima Lemon Jelly treats a lot more than I thought I would. Just like grape, I'm not too fond of lemon flavour, but these jellies were an absolute delight! I wish I could have had an entire bottle of lemon soda so it could've lasted a bit longer!
- Hiehiekko Gum from Marukawa Seika: I always enjoy the gums ZenPop adds in its boxes, especially because I rarely eat them otherwise—I'm normally not a gum girl. I certainly had a cool and refreshing experience with Marukawa Seika Hie Hiekko Gum, although I probably give it to the fact that it tasted like ramune. 😋
- Petit Pudding Jelly Custard Flavor from Kinjo: This Kinjo Petit Pudding Jelly Custard Flavor was such a yummy treat! I like custard snacks a lot, so I definitely enjoyed this!
- Apple Soda Gummy from Yaokin: This was a slight miss, mostly because I am not a fan of apple cider (or anything that has to do with apples in general, hehe) I did enjoy the fizz, though!
- Honey Peanut from Toyo Nuts: I like peanuts—like we've established—so these Honey Peanuts from Toyo Nuts were truly delicious, The sweetness of the honey was quite soft, which blended perfectly with the saltiness of the nuts, making this the perfect combination of sweet and salty (and my favourite, I might add).
- Gumidy Yogurt Flavor from Kanro: Candies with a gummy inside are always a fun treat to have at hand, and the yogurt flavour was quite interesting. So glad there were two!
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I really enjoyed this Summertime Snack box, I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it because of the citrus-y treats, but I actually did.
Get $5 off your first box by using the code MOCHI5 at checkout!
What are your favourite go-to snacks during Summer? Let me know in the comments!
次回まで。♥
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